Two paramedics have been charged with murder after an autopsy report showed that a patient died from asphyxia due to being tied too tightly on a stretcher. Earl L. Moore, Jr, was allegedly "in the setting of lethargy" when he was restrained face down on a paramedic bed in an ambulance while being transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The paramedics on the scene, Peggy Finley, 44 and Peter Cadigan, 50 have been arrested and charged with murder following the incident after they reportedly neglected the patient's needs. The two emergency workers were contacted by police to provide medical assistance to Moore on December 18 at a property in Springfield, Illinois, US, the Mirror reports.
According to a police report, officers found the man was 'suffering hallucinations due to alcohol withdrawal' but despite the concerning state he was in, paramedics refused to help him while one of them shouted at him to walk to the ambulance himself. In body camera footage released by police, Moore can be seen lying on a bed and had rolled onto the floor when Finley entered the bedroom.
Finley can be heard ordering the man to 'Sit up!' as she yells at him: "You’re gonna have to walk ‘cause we ain’t carrying you! I am seriously not in the mood for this dumb sh*t." Two of the officers helped Moore outside and onto the stretcher while Cadigan helped position Moore and Finley assisted him by strapping the patient in a prone position
A coroner's autopsy report seen by CNN concluded that Moore died after arriving at the hospital from 'compressional and positional asphyxia due to prone facedown restraint on a paramedic transportation cot/stretcher by tightened straps across back and lower body in the setting of lethargy and underlying chronic alcoholism."
According to information from the National Institutes of Health, alcohol withdrawal is a medical issue that takes place when someone used to regular alcohol consumption either significantly decreases their intake or stops drinking entirely. Symptoms can vary widely among sufferers and can include anything from anxiety, insomnia, agitation in mild cases, seizures, delirium tremens and hallucinations in severe cases, the agency says.
Teresa Haley, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People compared the death of Moor who was a black man to the killing of George Floyd, the State Journal-Register reported.
She said: "I believe (the paramedics) were treating (Moore) rougher because he was Black. It was hostile to see the video and how they treated him."
A statement from Black Lives Matter Springfield issued late Tuesday afternoon said it was "heartbroken to learn about the senseless killing" of Moore and supported the legal action taken against Finley and Cadigan.
The statement added that "the Black community faces constant bias and racism in a variety of contexts, including while seeking medical treatment. This is exacerbated for those with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. Unfortunately, this incident shines a light on how dangerous it can be for the Black community to seek treatment and receive medical care."
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